An integrated circuit package typically may integrate radio frequency (RF) active and passive components. Such integrated circuit package may for example be electrically coupled to a device external to the integrated circuit package. In order to implement a radio frequency coupling between the integrated circuit package and the external device, radio frequency coupling structures with low radiation losses may be desired.
Techniques are described in literature to improve the radio frequency coupling between an integrated circuit package and devices external to the integrated circuit package.
An example of such techniques is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,169,060 B2. U.S. Pat. No. 8,169,060 B2 describes an example of an integrated circuit package assembly arranged to transfer an electromagnetic signal from an integrated circuit package to a waveguide external to the integrated circuit package.
The integrated circuit package assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,169,060 B2 includes an integrated circuit package and a printed circuit board substrate. The printed circuit board substrate includes a waveguide. The integrated circuit package houses a first antenna that is configured to radiate a first electromagnetic signal. The waveguide generates a waveguide signal based on the first electromagnetic signal, and passes the waveguide signal to a second antenna that is electrically coupled to the waveguide. The second antenna is configured to radiate a second electromagnetic signal received from the waveguide. A conductive layer is formed over an external surface on the integrated circuit package, extends over a top dielectric layer of the integrated circuit package and reflects power radiated from the first antenna towards the waveguide.
However, the radio frequency coupling between the first antenna and the second antenna via the conductive layer and the waveguide cannot be controlled such that at the same time low radiation losses and good reproducibility of the radio frequency coupling are achieved.